Shōri e no Shūnen
Shōri e no Shūnen (勝利への執念) is the 11th episode of Crush Gear Turbo. It was originally aired in Japan on December 16, 2001. Synopsis According to the synopsis from the DVD release of the English dub: It's the third round of the Manganji Cup exhibition game, and the last chance for the Tobita Club to salvage some pride. Kuroudo has to take on the tricky snooker player Eddie Kobayashi and his unbeatable Gear, Break Nine. Break Nine has only one weak spot, can Kuroudo find it in time? Plot The third round of the exhibition match of the Manganji Cup has been determined, with Kuroudo battling against Eddie Kobayashi. Kouya and Kaoru go to Kyousuke in the rain, but the latter runs away from them until he is stopped by Kuroudo at the corridor. Kyousuke tries to get away from him when he is rebuked for cheating in battle and yet loses. Kaoru and Kouya return to the waiting room after they could not find Kyousuke. She approaches Kuroudo and comments how their team had been lost and humiliated in the tournament. Her remarks, however, cause Jirou to blame himself for losing the match. Kuroudo assures him that he had lost honorably. Then, Eddie goes into the waiting room to meet Kuroudo although Kaoru does not welcome him. He claims that he joined Takeshi’s team after everyone saw his ability in playing billiard, and he is unsure how he started playing Crush Gear. He also invites the Tobita Club for a show on his billiard skills at the arena. After Eddie leaves them, Kaoru expresses her doubt about him since he is too polite for a member from the Manganji Club. Lilika suggests her to look up on Eddie’s background. At the arena, Eddie shows off some of his billiard skills. When Kaoru returns to the team bench, she tells Kouya that she could not find any of Eddie’s official records. But Kuroudo is not interested in watching the billiard show since he thinks it has nothing to do with Gear Fighting. Later, Kouya and Jirou talk about how they are confident that Kuroudo will beat Eddie during the next game. At the same time, Eddie gets out from a room after receiving a briefcase from Takeshi before the latter wonders how Eddie could call himself a professional. As the first round of the match is about to begin, Kaoru meets Kyousuke not far from their team bench. She remembers him talking about the website for underground Gear Fighters, and asks him to give the site address. Eddie competes against Kuroudo by using Break Nine, a uniquely shaped Crush Gear that looks like a billiard ball. The former wins the round although his Gear Fighting skills seem amateurish. Kuroudo is not satisfied on Break Nine’s last move so he calls the referee. Eddie tries to defend himself that he won the game by luck and that he is a new Gear Fighter. However, Kaoru states to them that Eddie is not a new player; instead, he is an underground Gear Fighter that goes under the name "Fast Eddie" who played in illegal games. He often acts as if he is an amateur so that his opponents will not take him seriously. In the second round, Break Nine retracts its wheels after it is attacked by Shooting Mirage. Kyousuke explains that Break Nine is a perfect Gear; it utilizes the energy from the opponent Gear’s attack and uses it for retaliation, making a good balance of attack and defense. The round ends in a draw when Shooting Mirage is thrown out just after the time ends, even though it tries to attack Break Nine before being hit from behind. Unsatisfied with the game, Kuroudo calls the referee once again and demands for Break Nine to be checked for any illegal modifications. One of the judges states that the Gear’s modification is legal, since there are no rules that restrict customization from a free-existing Crush Gear. Kuroudo decides to withdraw from the match in protest, but Kouya prevents him from doing so. Kyousuke taunts him for being afraid to lose to Eddie and using the decision as an excuse. During the third round, Kuroudo accuses Eddie of cheating and further told that Jirou lost in an honorable way whereas Kishin won by cheating. Eddie then explains to Kuroudo about the truth about winning and losing by telling that defeat is similar to starvation, and Eddie swears to himself that he will never lose again in battle. Kuroudo manages to locate Break Nine’s weak spot after Shooting Mirage hits the top of the Gear. Although Kuroudo launches Spinning Tornado against Break Nine, the Gear retaliates and throws Shooting Mirage out from the ring, causing him to have an unfortunate defeat. Kyousuke then reveals that Eddie placed a silencer which allows Break Nine to mute/conceal the sound flow. Kuroudo is then faced with Eddie and Kyousuke’s words after the battle with the latter stating that he and Kuroudo are now both losers. Kuroudo leaves his teammates before the scene goes to Takeshi standing in front of the opened Code RG crate. At the dojo, Kuroudo is seen having his practice until his kendo master meets him. When he is asked about the reason he practices kendo and plays Crush Gear, Kuroudo replies he does them for victory, but he could not find the reason why he has to win. The master tells Kuroudo to search the answer within himself before he could compete with him. The embarrassed Kuroudo kneels to the ground as the episode ends. Trivia * Kuroudo's kendo instructor is the only person in the series to authentically pronounce his name correctly in the English dub as "Ku Row Dow" while it is pronounced "Ku Ru Dow" which is a mispronunciation in the English dub. Category:Episodes (Crush Gear Turbo)